INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC GREETING CARDS WITH TAP AND TOUCH ACTIVATED EFFECTS

• US 20110258893A1
• Filed: 04/20/2011
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Inventors: Tasse, Catherine, Eklund, Sarah C., Qiao, Tiger, Guo, Jerry, Marsh, Allison, Mayer, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,584,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/124.03
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/022 combined with permanently fastened sound-producing or light-emitting means or carrying sound records
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/00 Cardboard or like show-cards of foldable or flexible material

Abstract

The interactive greeting card of the present disclosure and related inventions combines a traditional paper card with one or more special effects that are initiated by interaction between a user and the greeting card. One or more touch sensors are used to initiate effects including, but not limited to sound, light, movement or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a greeting card body having a plurality of greeting card panels, two of the greeting card panels forming an enclosed cavity;

an electronics module contained within the enclosed cavity of the greeting card body, the electronics module comprising a circuit board, an integrated circuit, a touch sensor switch, a speaker, a memory storage device, a power source, a switch, a touch sensor switch plate, and at least two digital audio files saved on the memory storage device;

a first switch which initiates playback of a first digital audio file upon opening the greeting card;

a second switch which initiates playback of a second digital audio file upon human contact with an area of the greeting proximate to the touch sensor switch plate.

2. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the first switch is a slide switch.

3. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the first digital audio file contains spoken instructions indicating where to touch the greeting card to initiate the second digital audio file.

4. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the greeting card contains printed indicia indicating where to touch the greeting card to initiate the second digital audio file.

5. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the greeting card must be in an open position for playback of the second digital audio file.

6. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein one of the greeting card panels contains an aperture through which an inside surface of the greeting card is visible.

7. The interactive greeting card of claim 1 further comprising a die cut piece attached to the greeting card body.

8. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a greeting card body having a first panel connected to a second panel along a first fold line, and a third panel connected to the second panel along a second fold line, the second and third panels attached to form an enclosed cavity therebetween;

an electronics module contained within the enclosed cavity, the electronics module comprising a printed circuit board, a integrated circuit, a controller, a speaker, a memory storage device, two or more digital audio files contained saved on the memory storage device, a power source, a touch sensitive switch including a touch sensor switch plate, and a slide switch;

wherein the slide switch initiates playback of one of the two or more digital audio files, and

wherein the touch sensitive switch initiates playback of one of the two or more digital audio files when a human applies a continuous back and forth motion to an area of the greeting card proximate to the touch sensor switch plate.

9. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein the slide switch is located across the first fold line and is triggered when the greeting card is opened by unfolding the first panel away from the second panel along the first fold line.

10. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein when the continuous back and forth motion ceases, the playback of the digital audio file ceases.

11. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein an increase in the speed of the continuous back and forth motion increases the volume of the digital audio file.

12. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein an increase in the speed of the continuous back and forth motion increases the speed at which the digital audio file is played.

13. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein the slide switch initiates playback of a first digital audio file containing verbal instructions on where to apply the continuous back and forth motion on the greeting card to initiate playback a second digital audio file.

14. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein the greeting card body contains printed indicia thereon indicating where to apply the continuous back and forth motion on the greeting card to initiate playback of one of the at least two digital audio files.

15. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a greeting card body having at least three panels;

an electronics module contained within a cavity formed between two of the at least three panels of the greeting card body, the electronics module comprising;

a printed circuit board;

an integrated circuit;

a touch sensor switch;

a touch sensor switch plate;

a slide switch;

a speaker;

a power source;

a memory storage device, the memory storage device having at least two digital audio files saved thereon;

wherein the slide switch controls playback of a first digital audio file and the touch sensor switch controls playback of a second digital audio file.

16. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein the touch sensor switch is triggered by a human touching or tapping on an area of the greeting card which covers the touch sensor switch plate.

17. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein the touch sensor switch is triggered by a human applying a back and forth motion on an area of the greeting card which covers the touch sensor switch plate.

18. The interactive greeting card of claim 17, wherein when the back and forth motion stops, playback of the second digital audio file stops.

19. The interactive greeting card of claim 17, wherein playback of the second digital audio file continues as long as the back and forth motion is applied, uninterrupted, to the area of the greeting card which covers the touch sensor switch plate.

20. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein the touch sensor switch is a capacitance touch switch.